Update:Full blownreviews have popped up around the web, and it seems the GTX 280 isn't as impressive when compared to the much more capable GeForce 9800 GX2. Even when we are talking about a single GPU card, at the current price point it's hard to recommend the new high-end GTX.

Though ATI was hoping to get the upper hand when it launched its next-generation Radeon 4000 series later this month, word is out on the street that Nvidia is much much closer to the official release of their equally highly touted GeForce GTX 200 series graphics cards.

The card specs for both the GTX 280 and 260 models have been around for quite some time now, yet it's usually a matter of how the cards really perform that can make or break the launch of this kind of product.

The Inquirer has released a myriad of gaming benchmark results putting the upcoming GeForce GTX 280 against an overclocked 9800 GTX. While not the fairest of comparisons (the GTX 280 is expected to carry a price tag nearing the $600 mark), the results are nonetheless shocking, with an ample advantage for the newer chip which at times only seemed dragged down by a pretty fast 3GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU.